To Love Is To Destroy -Dantana-
by riverasbrittana
Summary: Santana's trying to move on from loving Brittany and give Dani a shot, but nothing ever comes easy. (Not containing any biphobic comments, because my point was not to offend any Brittana shippers, obviously.)
1. Chapter 1

"New York, New York. Big city of dreams, but everything in New York ain't always what it seems."

_**Santana's POV**_

I never honestly believed moving to New York would magically solve all the problems I've had to face since I left McKinley. Clearly, I figured it would be easier to sweep them under the carpet, but the farther I travelled from the place I used to call _home_, the more bitter I became. I wasn't homesick. I didn't miss McKinley, my parents or our old apartment. Going to Breadstix was no longer the highlight of my week; filling college applications didn't consume any of my freetime anymore.

In all honesty, I only missed one person. I wasn't supposed to, because we broke up and somewhere deep in my heart I knew this was the right decision to make, but every ounce of my body missed Brittany. Her laugh, all those silly conspiracy theories she used to make up in her head, her dance moves, the way those soft lips touched mine were all that kept me alive for a really long time and now that she was gone, I couldn't function properly.

Several weeks after moving in with Rachel Berry and Lady Hummel, I was still just a cheap imitation of what I once used to be. Then I started working at the local diner.

It was rather monotonous at first: getting up early 4 times a week, spending all day working for some foreign guy who stole my Yeast-I-Stat and trying to avoid having to use the back door that leads to a semi-dark alley with homeless junkies and whatnot. All that while wearing a ridiculous, red uniform with even more ridiculous, yellowish buttons at the front.

The first time I didn't have to muster up a fake smile was when I saw _her. _A beautiful blonde with tattoos on her right forearm and a gaze so meaningful it erased every single doubt I'd ever had about myself. My usual confidence vanished as I spotted her sitting next to the cold brick wall with a guitar on her lap, the neon lights highlighting her soft, pink lips as the right corner of her mouth curled into a charming smile.

_Breath: taken._

'Heading home?' she asked as I was busy wiping the crumbs off the counter and accidentally dropping the cloth when I heard Dani's voice rang through the diner.

'Yeah, I'm almost done'

I bent down, convinced that Dani's eyes were fixed on my butt, but for some reason, I didn't feel uncomfortable under her gaze.

She made a disappointed sound when I stood back up. A grin spread across my face.

Luckily for us, the diner went from crowded to almost completely empty in the space of an hour; the last costumer – a middle-aged black man – left around 15 minutes ago. There were many things Bushwickwas famous for, but nightlife was not one of them.

Being left alone in this building with Dani was frightening and intriguing at the same time.

'Can you play the guitar or are you just imitating Joan Jett?' I teased her.

Dani pulled a face that reminded me of one of Kurt's grimaces when he gets pissed after I use up his hair products.

Instead of responding, she played the first few chords to _Here Comes The Sun_ (not a very Joan Jett-like song) and began to sing the song in the most angelic voice I'd ever heard.

I joined in after a few lines and Dani couldn't hide the self-righteous grin appearing on her face.

Everything about that moment was magical. She made me want to get up on my feet and dance the night away.

Our harmonies were refreshing and new. I brushed my high school memories aside and forced myself to concentrate on my new life.

These three minutes were probably the highlight of my entire year.

'Oh and for your information, I'm nothing like Joan Jett' she winked at me after playing the last chord and placing the guitar on the floor next to herself.

'That I can see' I responded, cocking an eyebrow and accidentally forgetting to drop my arrogant tone.

'Is that so?' Dani asked, a challenging smirk appearing on her face.

'I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that' I retreated.

'You know, Rachel's such a nice girl, I wonder how she can put up with your douchiness on a daily basis'

I stuck my tongue out at her.

Dani leaned in closer and gently pecked my lips. She didn't catch me off guard; I had a feeling this would happen eventually and I already had the whole scenario planned out in my head.

Now that it finally happened, an unexpected wave of sadness washed over me, filling my eyes with tears of nostalgia and causing my facial muscles to tense up.

_Brittany._

I was repulsed by myself.

'What's wrong?' Dani asked.

I shook my head, suddenly wanting nothing but to lock myself up in my bedroom and sob until my body gets dehydrated.

'I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that. I thought –'

'There's nothing wrong with you' I cut her off, my voice breaking at every word. 'It's me, I'm… fucked up'

She put her hand on my thigh, eyes full of anxiety and pity. The physical contact startled me even more, I could've sworn there were butterflies and gleaming stars playing hide and seek in front of my eyes.

My guilt was eating me alive.

_Brittany._

Several silent minutes passed before I could get my lips to utter the following words:

'I'm sorry. I just… I have to go'

I stood up and grabbed my leather jacket. I wasn't sure if I was apologizing to Dani, Brittany or myself.

'Santana… Text me when you're home' I knew she hated letting me walk the streets alone, but given the mood I was in, Dani didn't stand a chance ofconvincing me to stay with her.

I slammed the door behind myself and roamed the dark, empty streets of Bushwick. I didn't feel like going home. I didn't feel like staying at the diner. I didn't feel like _being._

I couldn't help but presume I let Brittany down tonight. I tried to move on and with that, I shamed all of our memories. I vandalized those beautiful images of us that I used to treasure oh-so-dearly.

A black Maserati pulled up to the small casino on the other side of the street.

There were two possible outcomes of my relationship with Brittany: we either live happily ever after or we break up and I'll spend the rest of my life loving her as much as she deserves to be loved. There's no moving on, there's no other girl. There's Brittany and then there's everyone else.

I heard slow guitar music playing from one of the Italian restaurants on the corner and all my suppressed pain, the unbearable devastation and the never-ending anxiety hit me all at once. I nearly fell to the ground, the only thing keeping me on my feet was the concrete lamp post I leant toward.

My tears were falling uncontrollably. She was the only person who had enough power over me to make me burst into tears at the thought of what we had.

'Fuck, fuck, fuck' I murmured to myself.

I pushed my forehead to the cold post and fought to stifle the sobs ripping past my lips. A drunken couple passed by me on the sidewalk, laughing and holding hands. My sight was so blurred that I couldn't identify the thin, fragile object in the girl's hand. I blinked twice; it was probablya rose. They didn't even look at me.

My eyes were burning, because somewhere deep inside I knew that not even time could heal these wounds. They will forever bleed and they will keep breaking my heart into pieces until one day - when I can't put up with it anymore - I decide to leave this world behind me.


	2. Chapter 2

For two entire seconds after I woke up, I was weightless. I was free, devoid of problems and most importantly, I felt that engulfing happiness rushing through my veins that only lasts for a limited time, so you compulsively cling to every millisecond of it, hoping that it would last forever. Then a moment later it knocks you to the ground and firmly obeys you to get back on your feet, even though you dread every moment you have yet to spend mustering up that fake smile and pretending to be nothing, but content.

My head was pounding; I felt as if some lame garage band was having a gig inside my brain and everytime they hit a high note, an atomic bomb went off.

'Can I come in?' A dark silhouette with a mug in his right hand and perfectly done hair was all I could make out in the gloom of my room.

'No' I responded, convinced that rejection wouldn't prevent Kurt from intruding anyway.

'Dani called' he stated.

My blood pressure droppedas I sat right up. Kurt placed the mug on my bedside table and pulled a very familiar object out of his pocket.

'What did she say?' I jabbered. '_What the hell _are you doing with my phone?!'

'You wouldn't have to ask, if you hadn't been drunk off your tits last night' he furrowed his brows.

Kurt stepped to the window and drew the curtains. I whimpered as warm rays of sunshine crept into the room. I couldn't handle the sudden brightness invading the generally semi-dark place. Everything looked so different in the daylight. And I was hungover, apparently.

'What are you talking about?' I asked with my eyes shut, struggling to recall memories from last night. All I managed to remember was having a breakdown after I left the diner.

Then I relived the moment Dani kissed me and was on the edge of bursting into tears again.

'When you came home last night, I could tell that you'd been crying. You were drunk and hysterical and you called me Brittany, so I thought it'd be better if I put you to bed before you try to kiss me' Kurt explained.

There was no point in denying my weakness. Based on the compassionate smile Kurt flashed at me, inconsolability was written all over my face.

'You accidentally left your phone in the living room, I couldn't enjoy my morning coffee, because it kept buzzing' the resentment is his voice for ruining his coffee moment was amusing. 'So I answered it. Dani asked if you were okay, because apparently, you were supposed to text her last night'

I buried my face in my hands and decided to forgive Kurt for invading my privacy. I got so caught up in my thoughts that I forgot he was sitting on the bed next to me.

'Are you having girl troubles?' he asked.

'I'm not going to discuss my love life with you, Hummel'

'As crazy as it may sound, I know exactly what you're going through'

He handed me the mug. I precatiously smelled it before taking a sip of Lady Hummel's magic coffee.

'Really? Because as far as I'm concerned, the closest you've ever gotten to a girl was when you had a fake-crush on Rachel' I retorted.

Kurt exhaled deeply. The bed creaked as he turned towards me.

'I know you think arrogance is your only defense, but you can let your guard down in this house, because we're not out to get you'

I nodded, astonished at how easily he could see through me.

We remained silent for a few seconds. I knew Kurt was giving himself full credit for knocking some sense into me and I didn't mind, because this was the first moment I finally learned to read between the lines and assume that his curiosity and nosiness were the results of his concern about my happiness.

'You and Blaine got back together though' I pointed out the difference between his relationship and mine.

'But I couldn't possibly foresee that when we broke up, now could I?' he scoffed.

I finished my coffee and thankfully smiled at him.

'You know, Dani was really worried about you'

'I'm not sure if I'm ready for this' I replied. 'I mean, I like her a lot, but…'

'Maybe it's time you started your new life, Santana. She goes to college in Boston...' I inwardly thanked him for not saying Brittany's name out loud. 'And you're here. With a girl who – based on the number of missed calls you have – is crazy about you' Kurt snickered mysteriously.

'You have a point' I replied.

'Look, Rachel's been on cloud nine since yesterday afternoon. She wants to celebrate getting the role, so why don't you invite Dani over?' he suggested.

Kurt tried to come off as innocent, but I was aware that he and Rachel have joined forces to become the most insufferable match-maker allies to ever walk this planet.

'I'll think about it'

And I did. I spent the vast majority of my day trying to figure out if I should call Dani or let this whole thing slide.

By the time the sun set, painting the entire apartment a fascinating mixture of red and orange as if it was an empty canvas, the conflicted feeling in my chest still didn't cease to torture me.

I spent my evening stooping at the table, browsing through the contacts in my phone, maniacally tapping on Dani's name, then chickening out before making the call.

Then I exhaled deeply, furrowed my eyebrows and built up the courage to dial her number.

'Hi, Santana'

'Dani, hey… I'm sorry about last night' I tried to swallow the lump in my throat.

'It's alright, Kurt told me you were okay'

Her voice was relieved and I could tell by the way she formed the words – slowly yet wistfully - that she was smiling. That realization sent thrills down my spine. I shouldn't have been worried about talking to her, it all felt so natural that the words easily came stumbling out my mouth.

'Rachel's having a bit of a celebration tomorrow night, would you like to come?'

Soft chuckle on the other end of the line.

'Of course. Text me your address'

'Alright, I'll see you tomorrow then'

We hung up. Hearing her voice had a refreshing impact on me and for the first time in the space of a year, I thought to myself: _maybe it really is time to move on_.

Dani rang the doorbell at 7pm sharp. Kurt shot me a meaningful look whilst quietly telling Rachel about our guest. I prayed to God that these two don't embarrass me in front of her.

I opened the door just so I could stare shamelessly at the girl standing a few inches from me. It was the first time I saw her without that lame uniform and I had to admit, every piece of her body was just as angelic as her voice.

'You look… great' my mouth said before my brain could've shut me up.

She cocked her head to the side with that adorable half-smirk that I later decided to reckon her trademark.

'That was kind of my point' she replied softly.

I opened my mouth to say something very smart, but then I just closed it and stared at the face that looked as if it had been carved by angels.

'Santana?' Kurt showed up behind my back, approached Dani and me and introduced himself.

'It's so nice to finally meet you. I've heard a lot about you' he winked, giving me another purposeful look.

Rachel waited in the kitchen, a huge smile spread across her face before giving Dani a bone-breaking hug.

Ridiculously, I was jealous of Rachel for making a hug look so easy when I constantly had troubles separating my feelings of guilt and attraction.

Then about an hour and 3 glasses of champagne later, everything seemed much more obvious. Being tipsy rid me of all my inhibitions. Apparently, it did the same to my three friends.

Rachel balanced four whiskey shots on a tray. I burst into laughter when one of the shots landed on the countertop, breaking into a billion tiny pieces, coloring the off-white tiles a nasty shade of brown.

Even Rachel couldn't be bothered to clean it up. The uptempo background music mingled with her curse words. Rachel filled another glass and managed to hand them out to all three of us. She placed the tray on the coffee table and grabbed the fourth glass.

'Cheers to Rachel, the new Fanny Brice!' Kurt shrieked, faltering to the couch.

'Congratulations, Rachel!' I shouted, raising my glass.

We downed our drinks, then refilled the glasses and repeated the move over and over again. Rachel was the first to get on her feet and dance. Kurt followed her and drunkenly waved his hand in an attempt to get me and Dani to join them.

By the time I shook my head at Kurt and signaled Dani to follow me to the kitchen, my sight was blurry and my thoughts were incomprehensible, but that didn't stop me from wanting to come clean.

Rachel turned the volume up, the music was now so loud that I couldn't hear my own thoughts.

'I wanted to talk to you about the other night' I said, as I bent down a little so our eyes were on the same level. Dani then sat up on a whiskey-less part of the countertop.

She nodded.

'I didn't mean to leave like that, it's just that…' I didn't know how to continue. 'Do you remember my ex, Brittany? I told you about her the other day'

Dani nodded again.

'I was in love with her... We broke up around a year ago and even though I've hooked up with people since then, I haven't met anyone who could potentionally be next to me for more than one night. Until I met you'

I looked in the living room's direction: Kurt just broke a vase and uncontrollably laughed at the glass shatters all around the wooden floor.

'Kurt, you broke my damn vase!' Rachel whined. I remembered the first time I saw Rachel Berry drunk. The resemblance was mind-boggling.

'You don't have to explain yourself' Dani said dismissively.

'I just… thought you might want to know… why I left so suddenly?' I said, my brows furrowed.

I felt sober, even though I clearly wasn't. That explains why it all sounded way better in my head.

'Santana, this is not high school anymore' she said softly. 'I won't call you to account for your actions, especially since we're not in a relationship'

I frantically nodded, not knowing what to respond.

'So what are we then?'

'Well… let's just say we're in the 'getting to know each other' phase' she suggested.

'And what exactly does that _phase_ consist of?' I inquired with a smirk on my face.

'It means no sex until at least the fourth date' she winked.

'You can't go through with that'

Dani threw her head back. The scent of her sweet, flowery perfume wafted up my nose as she put her legs around my waist and whispered:

'Challenge accepted, baby'

I didn't hear the rest of her sentence, because I was too busy undressing her in my head.

Dani said she wanted to dance, so I followed her to the living room like a lovesick (and sexually aroused) puppy. Kurt was nowhere to be found. Then I heard him flush the toilet. And Rachel was sitting on the couch, preparing to down another shot.

'I think that's going to be enough for today, Rachel' I said, snatching the glass away from her.

'Santana, you're such a buzzkill. I got Fanny Brice! I _am _Fanny Brice!' she shook my shoulders to emphasize the statement. 'I can drink whatever I want!' with that, she reached for the whiskey that I'd put on the coffee table.

Before I could've replied, Rachel carried on with her monologue, now changing the topic to something she was willing to take credit for.

'Are you guys going to start, uhm, dating? Because you know, that would be, like, really cute'

I laughed and looked at Dani just to notice the most adorable facial expression I've ever seen: she blushed, her mouth slightly open, shyly biting her lower lip.

'So are you gonna kiss or what?' Rachel asked.

'Okay, Rachel, that was enough' I said, right when Kurt arrived.

'Why don't we go to a bar, so Rachel can celebrate properly?' Kurt came up with the idea.

'Are you out of your mind? She can barely sit still' I replied.

Needless to say that Rachel was more than happy to go to a bar. They put on their coats and were either too drunk or just looking for a reason to leave me and Dani alone.

'Are you _not_ coming?' Kurt shouted from the foyer.

'We're staying in' I yelled, so he can hear me. 'And Kurt, please don't –' he slammed the door shut. '—let her drink anymore'

'Looks like it's just the two of us'

'I'm sorry about Rachel, she's –'

'Stop apologizing' she cut me off gently.

Dani connected her phone to the hi-fi system and put on a slow, sensual song. As the minutes passed, I started regaining control over my actions.

She asked me to stand still, while she dances around me. Dani held my hand and leaned so close to my face that I was certain she was going to kiss me, but she didn't. She put my hands on her waist, turned around, rubbing her body against mine.

My drunkenness subsided, making room for sexual frustration.

When Dani got back up, I hugged her from behind, trying to become one with the warmth radiating from her body.

Her touch, her moves, her every word was so sexy that I couldn't contain myself anymore.

Images of Brittany dancing flooded my mind, but I quickly swept them aside.

When Dani grabbed my butt and swayed her hips in front of me, I nearly lost my mind.

_I'm being seduced._

I leaned in to kiss her, but Dani pulled away and pushed me on the couch. Her ass rubbed against my crotch for several exhilarating seconds, until she leaned towards my front and I felt her eager heartbeat against my chest.

I wasn't sure what to do. The idea to press my lips against hers was very tempting, but now that I wasn't as drunk anymore, that familiar feeling of cowardice began arising in my chest. Dani's presence had the kind of effect on me that was different from everything I'd ever experienced. She made me sappy and romantic, while I was supposed to remain that untameable, heartless bitch I made myself out to be.

Her face was only a few inches from me; she was so close that I could feel her breath on my lips.

_Now or never._

I slowly tilted my head to the side and connected our lips. Dani didn't retreat; in fact, her kiss was more passionate and erotic than I'd expected. Her lips were as hot as her embrace I was getting lost in.

She parted my lips and smiled as our tongues began dancing with each other. With every breath we took and every moment that passed by while we were busy displaying our affection towards one another, Dani deepened the kiss.

Tiny butterflies were fluttering in my stomach, slowly spreading through my entire body, until the beast inside of me started begging for release.

Then she pulled away and looked at me in a way so full of adoration and lust that it caused me to lose my train of thought.

Images of a soothing dream flashed in front of my eyes: I saw the bottomless ocean, the waves crashing against thousand-year-old cliffs. I inhaled the salty scent of the ocean as the lukewarm breeze sent shivers down my spine. That night I felt weightless for more than just two seconds. I clung to my happiness that was now true and justifiable, and I knew there wasn't a single happening that could tear me down this time. I had no idea how long it was going to last, however, there was one thing I knew for sure: from this moment on, I don't have to muster up a fake smile.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Santana's POV**_

After I'd moved in with Lady Hummel and Rachel Berry, it took me about two days to realize that these two are enthusiastic just about everything that has to do with music, so I wasn't at all surprised, when Kurt came up with the idea of starting a new band (after announcing that his ex-lover kicked him out of the Adam's Apples for _inexplicable_ reasons).

As if attending NYADA, landing an internship at Vogue and working at the diner wasn't time-consuming enough, Kurt was eager to chase his own glittery American dream and I dreaded having to play some type of role in it as well.

At first, it was quite amusing. He spent all the money he'd earned working for our obnoxious boss on renting a classroom at NYADA, right after sending out flyers and putting ads in random newspapers, hoping his yet-to-be-named band will catch people's attention.

When he asked us to join, I thought blurting "it's a no from me" in a Simon Cowell accent could potentially become one of my most exhilarating responses, but Dani was so adorably enthusiastic that I just couldn't ruin it for her, so I bit my tongue.

'Are you taking girls?' she asked Kurt as we stood behind the counter in our ridiculous red uniforms.

'Well, originally, I was thinking of a Madonna cover band...' Kurt started explaining and went on and on with a monologue that fell into the _excruciatingly_ _boring_ category.

I tuned out after the first two words.

'I was hoping the three of you could spare me the agony of open auditions by signing up'

I stared at him with my brows furrowed, trying to avoid the discomfort of this whole conversation. Kurt's words were left hanging in the air, until Rachel politely declined the offer, saying she had to focus on Funny Girl. Dani, on the other hand, was more than excited to join.

'What about you, babe?' she asked with a half-smirk spreading across her face. 'You don't want to miss an opportunity like this, now do you?'

I glanced at an overaffectionate heterosexual couple sitting at table six, then rolled my eyes and replied:

'Okay, I guess'

Kurt gave Dani a high-five and they both grinned like they had just won the lottery. I quietly cursed.

'Babe...?'

Someone poked my elbow.

'Santaaaaana?'

Dani smiled at me with her left hand on the steering wheel, the right one placed on my thigh, gently rubbing it.

I blinked twice and gaped through the windshield. For a moment I was blinded by the headlights of a Chevrolet pulling up to the pavement next to us, then as I was starting to regain my sight, I spotted high concrete buildings, glaring lights and skyscrapers rising in the distance.

I'd had a hunch Dani was going to play the New York City-card but now that we were here and lively images of my favorite city began flooding my mind, all I wanted was to blissfully jump into her arms.

The parking radar in Dani's car went off, the beeping noise filled the air as she parked the vehicle next to a noisy coffee shop.

'Are you sure you don't want to go home instead?' she asked.

'I enjoy spending time with you' I mustered up a smile, convinced that Dani saw through it, but relieved that she didn't contradict me. She stopped the engine.

'Let's go then'

Truth is, I was in constant pain because of Finn's passing and no matter how hard I attempted to cover it up, it was written all over my face. Tonight, however, I had no intention to let my sadness rain on my parade. I told myself _"Finn would want you to be happy"_ so many times that eventually, I started believing it.

'Welcome to the Lower East Side of Manhattan!' Dani whispered to me as she laced our fingers and pointed at the dozens of mid-rise buildings around us.

The streets were crowded, it seemed as though the entirety of New York City's population picked this very night to make plans outdoors. I enjoyed how fashion-aware most women looked while striding the streets with their perfect eyeliner and designer bags.

I wanted to keep staring at all these interesting people, but she guided me to a semi-dark blind alley and tightened her grip on my fingers.

Dani led me towards the entrance of one of those dust-covered, 10 story pre-war buildings and pushed down on the door handle. The door creaked, exposing an ordinary, gray stairway right in front of us that looked surprisingly durable.

That typical smell of concrete and mildew wafted up my nose as Dani's arm nowputaround my waist forced me to enter the building. With its dim lights and the dirty window panes keeping all kinds of natural light outside, it seemed like the kind of place everyone in their right mind would hurry to abandon. All in all, the building looked like it had just been turned into the headquarters of New York City's biggest mob.

'What are we doing here?' I squeaked.

Dani laughed at my tone.

She walked up to a door with peeling red paint on its front and quietly opened it, while signaling me to follow her. The elevator was empty and undersized, I wasn't sure if it could lift us both at the same time.

'This is where I grew up' she answered.

Dani stepped into the elevator. I didn't see which button she pushed, because I was too busy getting lost in her eyes as she continued her story:

'I was around twelve when my parents decided it would be better if we moved to the suburbs. Quite frankly, I think it was because all their friends were finding out about my mother's affair and my father was ashamed. So we moved' she formed the last words with a disgusted smile playing on her lips. I could tell she didn't want to leave the city. Especially not for the mistakes her parents made.

The elevator slowly moved upward, reaching the first, then second floor and rising for a few more minutes until noisily decelerating.

'But you're back in New York' was all I could reply.

'Remember when I told you about how they caught me making out with a girl?' she smiled mysteriously. I nodded. 'Well, that was part of the reason why I moved back here. I needed to be in control of my own life'

'Don't you miss them though?'

'My parents? No, not really'

The door creaked as Dani flung it open. That unpleasant concrete smell seemed to have followed us all the way to the tenth floor; Dani climbed up a few more steps, then opened a tiny glass door and helped me step out onto the roof of her former home.

'Do you miss anyone from back home?' she asked silently, attempting to put up where we left off.

Brittany's name was on the tip of my tongue, but I quickly chased that thought away and shook my head.

'No. Well, maybe my grandma. But we're not on speaking terms, so...'

I shuddered as the fresh breeze carressed my skin. Dani took that as a reaction to the displeasuretalking about my grandma had caused me.

'It's going to be okay, honey. She'll come around' with that, she threw her arm around my shoulder and gently pecked my lips.

I decided to leave it at that, because there was no way on Earth I could've convinced her of the opposite.

Instead, I approached the thigh-high ledge so I could get a closer look on the panorama.

The yellow cabs marching on the highways were like stars on the velvet sky: as soon as one of them disappeared, a new one came rushing in to take its place. The buildings – most of them higher than the house we were on top of – were enormous and old-fashioned. If you stared at them for a long enough time, they looked like naked, hairless sleeping giants waiting for a careless victim to finally awake them.

Dani hugged me from behind. The engine roars filled the air whilst the minutes passed without either of us giving utterance to our thoughts. There was no need for any words to be spoken as the warmth of her body and the love in her eyes did all the talking.

Even though it was around 11 pm, everything was bright and easy to make out in the dark. There were neon signs above the entrance of nearly every store, molding into a horizontal line of unbrokenbrightnessthat highlighted every passer-by on the sidewalk. The vast majority of them were locals, heading home after a tiring day at work. Then there were clueless tourists, holding cameras and oversized maps in their hands.

'Now I understand why this city never sleeps' I scoffed.

'Do you like what you see?' she purred from behind me.

What we saw on the top of that building was the complete opposite of what I'd expected. It was unbelieveable yet so real and impressive that my eyes couldn't adapt to the beauty of it. And Dani knew that exactly. She wouldn't have brought me here if she'd thought it wasn't worth it.

I placed my purse on the ledge and turned around, pushing my front against hers. Dani's eyes were fixed on my body and in her eyes I discovered that consuming fire of lust and passion that now began to send thrills down my spine.

Our faces were inches away and when I bent down to press my lips againt hers, an unfamiliar feeling of sexual arousal flooded over my body.

I wanted her more than I'd ever wanted anyone.

She rested her hand on the small of my back. Our tongues were wrestling with each other until we both ran out of breath and she gently pulled away.

I watched Dani's chest move up and down with the heavy breaths she took. I then gazed into the beautiful pair of hazel eyes that conveyed love so tender that my heart skipped a beat.

'You're so beautiful' the words tumbled out of my mouth before I could stop them.

'That caught me off guard' Dani blushed.

'I'm sorry' I broke eye contact.

'Don't _ever_ apologize for that'

She stood on her tiptoes to kiss me.

Her lips began to trace my nose, my jaw and ended up leaving soft teeth marks on my neck.

I guided her lips back to mine, smashing them together and becoming gradually aggressive with every touch.

Dani grabbed my ass; I moaned in her mouth. I felt the corner of her lips curl into a pleased smile as she placed her palms on my butt.

I've always been terrified of heights, but when she grabbed me by the waist and sat me on the ledge, I felt many things, but fear was certainly not one of them.

My hands were in the process of unbuckling her belt, playing with the buttons on her jeans and contemplating slipping off her shirt when Dani pulled away and flashed her most teasingsmile at me.

'Remember, it's only date number three'

I narrowed my eyes.

'Are you fucking kidding me? I was just about to –'

She cut me off with a gentle kiss, then held my hand and led me back to the glass door.

I wasn't used to not getting what I want, let alone getting cut off while in the middle of my plaintive monologue so needless to say I spent the entire way back home pouting. Dani just laughed at my misfortune.

She drove me back to Bushwick, kissed me goodnight and promised to call as soon as she got home.

I quietly unlocked the door, took off my high-heels and turned on the foyer lights, hoping that the fluttering butterflies in my stomach wouldn't wake Rachel and Kurt.

I was mistaken. Kurt's curious voice rang through the apartment in a way that I found particularly scary at such a late hour.

He leant towards the doorframe in his hippo-patterned pyjamas and looked at me with his most excited smile.

'I want to hear all about it' he whispered.

I grinned and prepared to pull an all-nighter.


	4. Chapter 4

I faltered to my bed in the semi-dark, north-facing room and waited for Dani to join me. There was something in her eyes, some type of silent conviction that reassured me of her ever-growing affection. When I first kissed her that night, I knew there was only one possible outcome of our date and it didn't take long for either of us to guess that we would end up in bed very soon. As for me, I was so excited that I could barely stifle my sense of urgency to start counting the hours. Dani, on the other hand, seemed rather calm and well-balanced and I had a hunch her new strategy consisted of playing hard to get. Boy, was I wrong.

Dani sat on my lap and caressed my cheek. My skin prickled at the touch of her hand.

'_Make love to me'_ she whispered in my ear, her breath tickling my skin as her lips began tracing the outline of my jaw.

I gently pulled away, gazing into Dani's eyes. She flashed her most teasing smile at me and I suddenly found myself at a loss for words.

'What an honorable proposition' I replied at last, my words echoing in the silence.

She playfully rolled her eyes, then tossed her hair back, snickering at the now visible desire appearing on my face.

Dani pushed me on my back and I had no intention to object. She sat on my hips and bent down to smash our lips together. Her kiss was aggressive and full of passion, her tongue eagerly danced with mine as though the world was about to end and this last kiss was all she had to convey her feelings for me.

The bed creaked under our weight.

I placed my palms on her butt, smacking and groping it until a quiet moan escaped Dani's lips. She ran her hands up and down my sides, slowly lifting my dress up to my hips.

Before she could've commanded me to sit up and get rid of my clothes, I tightened my grip on Dani's thighs and switched places with her, so I could be on top.

'So dominant' she mocked me.

'Shut up' I retorted, gently nipping her lower lip.

The heat radiating from her body was so engulfing that I nearly lost my mind. All I could think of was undressing Dani and feeling her skin go up in metaphorical flames under my touch.

'Make me'

I kissed up the column of her neck, causing Dani to let out deep sighs and gently worked my way down to her collarbones as my fingers played with the hem of her shirt.

Dani willingly took her shirt off and threw it on the ground. Then she moved my dress upward and rid me of it with a smirk on her face.

For a few seconds we stopped and stared at each other's bodies, captivated by the newly exposed skin in front of us. With that familiar lavender scent of her hair wafting up my nose, the black bra cupping her breasts and her pale, flawless skin glowing in the gloom of my room, she looked like an angel.

Dani archedher back and guided my hand to her bra. I unclasped it and felt my heart skip a beat as I spotted her round, firm breasts waiting for my tongue to discover every inch of them.

I had a feeling Dani saw the fascination in my eyes as I tried to take in all her beauty, because a bashful smile spread across her face and she held her arm in front of her breasts to cover them from me.

I exhaled deeply, then bent down and laced our fingers, locking eyes with her while I waited for her muscles to loosen up. A second later she pecked my lips and that well-known half-smirk reappearedon her face. I took this lapse as a moment of doubt.

Dani gave me permission to carry on in the form of a slight nod, so I leaned in closer, tilted my head to the side and pulled her lower lip between mine.

My lips left small hickeys on Dani's neck as I was making my way down to her chest. Her nipples hardened under the touch of my palms; I flicked my tongue against them, tenderly sucking and biting, until my name silently escaped her lips and a wave of sexual arousal flooded over my body.

I heard noises from the living room's direction, but I quickly convinced myself it was just a distracting hallucination.

Dani grabbed my butt while I played with the waistband of her underwear. The thought of taking it off of her made me wetter than I was willing to admit.

I finally kneeled between her legs and looked up at her, fingers caressing both her inner thighs. She grabbed the pillow under her head, causing the muscles in her stomach to strain in a way I could only describe as _mouth-watering_.

Then I looped my finger into the waistband of Dani's thong and gently pulled it off.

I bent down and kissed the inside of her left, then her right thigh. Based on her intense reaction, Dani was feeling ecstatic. She tangled her fingers in my hair and the closer my lips got to her wet entrance, the louder she pleaded for release.

I tortured her for several minutes, kissing and nipping her hot skin, watching as she caught her breath everytime she thought I was going to begin eating her out.

'_Please_' she murmured.

'Please what?' I asked, placing a kiss on her right hip.

I couldn't help but grin evilly when she snapped her eyes shut and mumbled something incomprehensible.

'I'm afraid I can't hear you down here'

'_Fuck me' _she whined.

'Now that's better' I scoffed and slid one of my fingers into her.

Dani took a deep breath; I looked her in the eye and pulled it out, then slid two fingers back into her entrance. The frustration faded from her face – all she wanted was relief and I was determined to give it to her.

I quickened the pace, Dani moved her hips up and down in an attempt to climax as intensely as she possibly could. And that's when I decided it was time to go all in.

I covered her clit with my lips, sucking and carefully biting it until Dani's moaning turned so loud that I was afraid our roommates would barge into the room half-asleep and emphatically ask us to stay quiet for the rest of the night.

I was so turned on at the sight of her naked, aroused body that I felt a knot forming in my abdomen.

Dani freed one of her hands and pinched her nipples as her walls tightened around my fingers, causing her chest to rise rapidly with the frequent breaths she took.

She was convulsing, I could see the dim light reflecting off of the salty beads of sweat rolling down her temple. I was staring shamelessly at the way her hips moved so devotedly while her breasts were bouncing up and down with every thrust.

_You're so beautiful._

She groaned one last time and judging by the look on her face, she was drained.

I sat up and placed one last kiss on her tummy. Dani signaled me to climb on top of her.

'We're not done yet' she grunted, her warm breath lighting my insides on fire as she smashed our lips together.

'You're restless' I snickered when we paused to take a breath.

Since I was only wearing my underwear, Dani didn't make a big deal out of undressing me. She unclasped my bra, maniacally grinned when her hands dropped on my boobs and started massaging them in a way that made the entire flock of butterflies in my stomach flutter uncontrollably.

She laid me on my back and by the time her teeth began leaving soft marks on my neck, I was so ridiculously wet that even the simplest touch brought me orgasmic pleasure.

Dani grabbed my wrists and tenderly held them above my head, nipping on my collarbone as she went down on me. The warmth of her breath sent shivers down my spine.

While she decided to direct her attention towards my nipples, I ran my fingers through her hair and quietly whimpered. Her lips were hot and soft; I let out soft groans everytime her mouth grazed my skin.

_More, more, more _– my head said, subconsciously forcing me to arch my back, attempting to mold into her body.

Dani bent down to place tender kisses on my thighs, while grabbing my butt and approaching my clit with her wet, eager lips.

Then it happened. The first time she pushed her tongue against my clit, I thought I was going to explode. I threw my head back, focusing on a dusty corner of the high, discolored ceiling while Dani moved her tongue in a figure eight motion.

I felt Dani's hand caress my hips and without a second thought, I grabbed her wrist and laced our fingers. She looked at me with a gaze so affectionate that I nearly began squirming.

I was very close to cumming and Dani was perfectly aware of that. The pleasurable pain in my stomach intensified to the point where it was almost insufferable.

She slid two fingers in me, to which I responded with a loud, guttural moan. I felt the veins on my neck bulge and that unwavering feeling of hotness wash over my body as Dani repeated the move over and over again.

My body was on fire. I felt as if a thick layer of fog had just begun blocking the responsible bits of my brain, unleashing the sexually deprived beast inside of me and causing it to lose the ability of thinking rationally.

I counted five more thrusts until my lust subsided and the pain in my abdomen faded, making room for a much more intense feeling.

I must've been insanely noisy, but at that moment, there was nothing I cared about, except for the satisfaction rushing through my veins.

'Wow' I panted after she lay next to me.

Dani rested her head on my chest.

'So was it worth the wait?' she asked with her lips curling into a satisfied smile.

'Hmmm... maybe'

'Maybe, huh?'

I stuck my tongue out at her. She pinched my hip and tickled my sides, causing me to burst into laughter.

'I was... joking...' I wheezed as Dani ran her hands up and down my body.

'You'd better be' she whispered. 'Because at the moment I'm not sure if I could handle any more rounds'

'Maybe you're not so restless afterall' I teased her.

'Oh, really?'

She dropped her hand on my thighs and when I saw the evilish light behind her eyes, I realized that we were nowhere near done yet.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Hey, guys! It's Sophie So I've been looking for a bit of drama-stirring in the following chapters and what better way to test Dani and Santana's relationship then to bring Brittany back? Anyway, I really want to go through with that storyline, but I'm not sure if my readers would want to read anything Brittana-related, since it's still a Dantana fic? So now I'm asking you guys to share your opinion in the feedback section. The question is: should I or should I not bring Brittany back? Thanks for answering, if you do! Have fun reading the new chapter.

**Santana's POV**

'Good morning, darling' I whispered as Dani's fingers began grazing my hips.

'Morning' she replied quietly.

'How was your sleep?'

Dani scoffed before answering and lifted her head from the pillow.

'I dreamed that we spent the entire night having sex. Oh wait...' she grinned.

I playfully tickled her side.

'That's funny, because I seem to have dreamed the exact same thing' I played along. 'And I have to admit, it was a very vivid dream'

I wasn't completely sure, but it looked as though her cheeks got flushed upon hearing my response.

'I like having you around' I continued.

It was the third night this week that we'd spent together and even though it was easier to live in denial about how much I needed her around, I felt an increasing urge to tie her to my bedpost and spend every waking moment by her side.

'I like being around' she said, pulling her lower lip inbetween her teeth. I leaned in closer to kiss her, to which she replied with an: 'Ew, morning breath' and pulled away.

'Feels like we're married already' I remarked.

'Great, you can make me breakfast then'

Dani stuck her tongue out at me, grabbed two robes from my closet, tossed one of them at me and signaled me to get up. I sighed and obeyed.

As we approached my friends, the semi-loud chatter with muffled sounds and silent laughter from the kitchen increased in volume and I was convinced Blaine and Sam had already arrived, but they were kind enough not to wake us up.

I grabbed Dani's hand on our way to the kitchen. At the mahagony table I spotted Blaine with Kurt to his right, Sam and Rachel sitting across from them at the table. The scent of fresh coffee was lingering in the room.

'Good morning, guys'

Blaine and Sam both jumped on their feet, greeting and pulling me in bone-breaking embraces. I chuckled at the sight of Sam's tiny bun; other than that, they looked the exact same as the last time I'd seen them.

'Let me introduce you to my girlfriend, Dani' I said, pointing at the girl standing next to me. 'They're Blaine and Sam. We used to go to the same high school back in Lima'

'It's very nice to meet you, my lady' Sam said, attempting to impersonate Jamie Lannister.

Dani looked at me with her brows furrowed and scoffed before Sam pulled her into his arms for a quick hug.

As I held Dani's hand once Sam let her go, Blaine's gaze dropped at our laced fingers, seemingly too careless to cover up his disapproval. I cocked an eyebrow, but he didn't notice as his eyes now wandered to Dani's leather coat on the couch. Blaine's face seemed like a lightbulb had just gone off above his head. I inwardly cursed for being too lazy to hang the jacket up last night.

I cleared my throat, finally dragging him back to reality.

I prayed Dani wouldn't notice the awkward silence, but there was a bigger chance of snowing in Africa than of Dani remaining unaware of this.

'It's nice to meet you' Blaine said, leaning in to kiss Dani on the cheek. I let out a sigh of relief whilst deciding to get him castrated later that day.

Without a doubt, one of the best things about moving to New York was not having to see all those basic people back in Lima on a daily basis. And also the fact that most of the time, it was a Blaine-free zone. Now that Klaine have officially rejoined, I was afraid I would have to buy a pair of ear plugs for the night and a bucket into which I can vomit without having to use the bathroom. Not to mention Sam Evans, who was still convinced that practising his crappy celebrity impressions would somehow pay off in the near future and whom I still very much resented for presuming he could ever measure up to a girl like Brittany.

But at that moment, none of it mattered, because they both had just invaded the privacy of our hectic New York lives and there was not much I could do about it. Especially because when they arrived, the smile on Rachel's face was the kind of expression I hadn't seen ever since Finn passed. So I just shrugged and bit my tongue.

Both Rachel and Kurt were overly enthusiastic to show our guests around and they didn't take no for an answer. So after letting the two bright sparks leave a big-ass piano in the middle of the living room, they forced me – and therefore Dani as well – to join them on the sight-seeing tour.

Kurt went on and on about his plans for Blaine's NYADA audition, who was not nearly as interested in all this performing arts bullshit as Lady Hummel. And when I thought going to work the next way would spare me the fun Klaine-times, they all showed up at the diner before closing. The building was nearly empty; Rachel, Dani and I stayed to straighten up the place before heading home, when Sam, Kurt and Blaine stepped into the diner.

Dani never mentioned that awkward first meeting. Instead, she seemed generally pleasant and enthusiastic when Sam came up with the idea of visiting a nightclub that night.

'We should totally go' Kurt shouted from behind the counter.

'I have work tomorrow' I grimaced.

'Come on, Santana, don't be such a buzzkill' Rachel replied.

I shook my head. I wasn't crazy about the idea of spending another night with anybody other than my girlfriend.

Dani stepped next to me as I pushed a chair under the table. She looked at me with teary puppy eyes.

'Please, baby'

All our friends smiled and hopefully awaited my response.

'Yes, _please, baby_' Kurt mocked us.

'Fine, damn it' I responded.

Dani pecked my lips. Blaine rolled his eyes; the only reason I didn't call him out was because I didn't want Dani to witness that barbaric, merciless side of me.

I watched as her hips swayed along with the rhythm of the music and I wanted nothing but to put my arms around her waist and catch my breath as her butt grinds against my crotch, but sadly, Blaine Anderson was approaching with two rainbow-colored drinks in his perfectly moisturized hands.

I took my eyes off of Dani, giving Blaine a nasty look as he sat down and handed me one of the drinks.

'Ironic, huh?' he chuckled, pointing at the colors making up the alcoholic beverage.

'Whatever' I mumbled, my gaze fixed at Dani's spinning body.

I took a sip of my drink and quickly placed it back on the table.

'Can I talk to you about something?' Blaine hesitantly asked.

Given how distant he'd been acting ever since he spotted Dani walk out of my room, I saw this coming and too personal conversations with people I wasn't at all close to scared the living hell out of me. To my misfortune, as I was contemplating hiding behind a group of horny undergraduates in a far corner of the club, he began talking.

'I have something to ask'

'Go on' I responded half-heartedly.

He looked me in the eye in a remorseful way; I panicked and wished he would just drop dead before asking something that requires him to look at me so apologetically in advance. Like he dreaded the outcome of this dialogue.

'Aren't you taking this rebound relationship a little too… seriously?' he blurted, completely catching me off guard.

'_Excuse you_?'

Blaine broke eye contact. I was no longer wondering why this conversation made him feel regretful.

'I'm sorry, that... came out wrong. I was just -'

'No, shut up. Are you out of your freaking mind? You met Dani for the first time yesterday and you got the nerve to pass judgment on my relationship with her?!' I cut him off.

The adrenaline and anger caused my rationality to subside. I was now prepared to lash out at the man sitting next to me.

'No, Santana, I just thought –' he raised his palms as if ready to surrender.

'Shut the fuck up, Anderson, or I will grab that hideous bowtie of yours and strangle you with it' I yelled while jumping up to my feet, getting ready to leave.

'So you don't want to hear what Brittany has to say about this?'

I was in the process of detecting the hiding place of my car keys on the bottom of my handbag, but Blaine's words caused me to freeze halfway through the move.

I couldn't keep track of the times I'd thought about what Brittany's opinion would be and I had to make huge efforts to remind myself that it doesn't matter anymore.

Blaine knew he had ignited my interest. I slowly sat back down, convinced not to admit defeat. I felt guilty for wanting to hear what he has to say.

'Is she hurt?' was the only thing I could articulate before tears began welling up in my eyes.

The club suddenly felt sucky and overrated. Most guests had already gone home by the time we arrived. It wasn't until that moment that I realized how bad the music was.

I looked up at the neon sings on the ceiling, attempting to cover up the tears. I might've become a bit sensitive through the past few months, but I was still too proud to cry in front of anyone.

'A little bit' Blaine answered. 'She's bummed that she can't be here for you. But at the end of the day, she just wants you to be happy'

I nodded.

'Is she dating anyone?'

'Not that I know of'

For whatever reason, I let out a sigh of relief.

'Well, thank you for telling me' I said. 'And just so you know, what Dani and I have is real. She's not a rebound'

'She looks cool' he replied, his eyes following Dani's dance moves.

'She's amazing. I'm seriously falling for her' before I could stop them, the words slipped out of my mouth.

Blaine laughed.

'Look at you, all emotional and cheesy. I don't even know you anymore'

I looked in Dani's direction. Rachel was dancing around her, their hips nearly touching as Kurt attempted to take drunk selfies on his phone.

'Are you happy?' Blaine broke the silence.

I remained silent for a second, memories of dates, conversations and all those nights spent with Dani flooding my mind.

'Yes' I answered, the conviction in my own voice startling me. 'She's the best thing that happened to me since I got here'

'I'm happy for you, Santana' he gently grabbed my arm.

A minute later, Sam showed up at the bar, chit-chatted with the bartender and was soon headed in our direction, balancing several vodka shots on a tray.

'Gotta love his timing' I grinned, glancing at the alcohol.

Sam passed by a dancing couple while dodging some confetti that had been thrown in the air. The lights illuminated his tightening muscles.

'Here' Sam said, handing over the tray. 'I figured you could use some liquid courage'

The music was so loud I could barely make out his words.

'Also, your girlfriend demands a dance and if I were you, I'd make her dance before one of those guys do' Sam continued, pointing at a group of douchebags on the opposite side of the dancefloor. A black, dread-haired man was leering at Dani in a very concerning way.

I downed two shots. My girlfriend turned around and stared daringly at me from across the dancefloor.

'I'm going to dance!' I announced.

I pushed some junkie out of my way and attempted to approach Dani, Rachel and Kurt. The boys followed me. Someone stepped on Sam's foot and I could hear his curse words despite the loud bass.

'I missed you' Dani whispered as I hugged her from behind.

She turned around and smashed our lips together, turning this club into the location of our first public kiss. I couldn't help but smile as wide as never before.

Dani's kiss was deep and passionate, I had a feeling she could barely resist lifting my dress up.

I gently pulled away, nipping on her lower lip. The warmth of those previously downed vodka shots began washing over me.

I gazed into Dani's eyes; the light reflecting off of her cheeks highlighted her angelic features. My heart skipped a beat when her lips curled into that charming half-smirk and the dark pair of hazel eyes began mirroring my affection towards her.

At that moment, it seemed like everyone had disappeared from around us. The twisting, sweaty bodies in my way and the crappy music were no longer relevant; everyone I'd ever known and everything I'd ever seen was insignificant from that moment on. It was just us, two girls on the verge of falling endlessly in love with each other.


End file.
